HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.30.20 PRAB MinutesCITY OF BOULDER
BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
To listen to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meetings in their entirety, please go to the
following link: www.boulderparks-rec.org
Name of Board/Commission: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
Date of Meeting: September 30, 2020
Contact Information Preparing Summary: Charlotte O’Donnell, 303-413-7223
Board Members Present: Charles Brock, Alli Fronzaglia, Mary Scott, Raj Seymour, Tara
Winer, Jason Unger, Pamela Yugar (arrived 6:10 p.m.)
Board Members Absent:
Staff Present: Bryan Beary, Tina Briggs, Regina Elsner, Jeff Haley, Stacie Hoffmann,
Stephanie Munro, Charlotte O’Donnell, Ali Rhodes, Christy Spielman, Dennis Warrington,
Denise White
Guests Present: Jeff Fossum with ZDesign Group
Type of Meeting: Advisory/Regular
Agenda Item 1: Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. A quorum was present for the conduct of
business.
Motion to approve agenda. Motion by Brock. Second by Fronzaglia. Motion passed 6-0.
Yugar was not present for this vote.
Agenda Item 2: Future Board Items and Tours
Rhodes reviewed upcoming agenda items for PRAB.
Agenda Item 3: Public Participation
Jerry Greene, community member, requested that the board consider his concerns regarding
several items at the Boulder Reservoir detailed in his letter (see Attachment A).
Emily Brake, community member, raised concern that Boulder Parks and Recreation (BPR)
did not have a clear process for ADA requests.
There being no one else who wanted to speak, public participation was closed.
Agenda Item 4: Consent Agenda
A.Approval of Minutes from August 24, 2020
Motion to approve the minutes from August 24, 2020 as presented. Motion by Seymour.
Second by Unger. The motion passed 7-0.
B.Development and Operations Update
The Board had the following questions and/or comments.
•Which projects are included in the Multiple Resources Preservation Plan (MRPP)?
•Is there anything that PRAB members can do to assist staff with the Great Outdoors
Colorado grant for the Valmont skatepark?
•Congratulations to staff for successful YSI programs and summer camps.
•How did Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) reach Elmer’s Two-Mile park?
•Thanks for the rapid response to tree damage after the storm. What was the impact on
the forestry budget?
•Requested more information about the unusual bat species found in Boulder.
•What was the community response to the extension of the outdoor pool season?
Agenda Item 5: Items for Discussion and Information
A.Flatiron’s Golf Course Facility Design
Briggs and Jeff Fossum from ZDesign Group presented this item to the Board. The Board had
the following questions and/or comments:
•In the future plans, will the size of storage change?
•In the future plans, will the location of the restrooms change?
•Does staff expect that a golf simulator would produce revenue?
•Will the new facility accommodate disc golfers? What percentage of users might be
disc golfers?
•How did community engagement help decide the style of the facility?
•Will there be a permanent elevated stage area for events or performances?
•Will all 200 parking spots be used regularly?
•Sidewalk to Arapahoe is a great addition.
•Can the capacity for electric vehicle charging be easily expanded?
•The methods used to gather community feedback in this difficult time are appreciated.
•Would there be drive-in movies?
•The more users that can be served with this facility, the more community support.
•Would staff consider changing the name to include “Event Center” or other items?
•Are there paths for neighborhood walkers?
•Does staff anticipate the restaurant business to produce revenue long-term?
•Will the restaurant be aimed at the broader community and not just golfers?
•Recommended that PRAB write a letter to Council expressing support.
•The indoor-outdoor space and many community uses make this plan exciting.
•The simulator and space to learn golf are great features.
•Glad to know that the increase in revenue can help fund expansion of financial aid
program.
• Excited by event lawn as filling need of space in Boulder and potential for revenue
generation.
Agenda Item 6: Matters from the Department
A. Master Plan Kick Off
Elsner presented this item to the Board. The Board had the following questions and/or
comments:
• Why is pickleball listed as an example?
• Was the cost of this master plan reduced? How does this compare to other master plans
happening in other city departments?
• Is this a standard process for cities or is this more expensive?
• Recommended that the master plan consider potential long-term impacts of COVID
and how society might change.
• Offered assistance analyzing how this plan will address climate change.
• How can this plan engage people and get the community excited?
• Recommended using this as an opportunity to educate the public on what parks and
recreation does in general (economic benefits, etc).
• How will engagement work for people who might not use our services?
• Will this project include signage?
• Recommended gathering data about the economic benefits of parks through this
community engagement and surveys so that this data can be used when applying for
grants and fundraising.
B. Operating Budget Update
Hite verbally presented this item to the Board. The Board did not have any questions or
comments.
Agenda Item 7: Matters from the Board
A. PRAB Retreat Agenda Review
Yugar and Winer, the retreat committee, lead this discussion with the board. The date of the
retreat will be Monday, November 16 at 5:00 p.m. The Board had the following questions
and/or comments:
• Though PRAB will not meet in person, will members eat dinner together virtually
before the meeting or during the opening part?
• The committee will make a draft agenda that PRAB will review at the October meeting
B. PRAB Community Engagement Updates
Members of the PRAB participated in the following outreach activities over the course of the
last month:
• Responded to community member emails and recommends discussing a better way for
PRAB to respond to future messages during the retreat.
• Planned and participated in PLAY’s virtual duck race which went well and raised more
money than last year.
• Swam at the outdoor pools several times and appreciated the fantastic staff help with
the reservation process.
• Daughter enjoyed returning to gymnastics programming and appreciates staff’s work to
make this happen.
• Yugar and Fronzaglia will share updates about PLAY at the October meeting.
Agenda Item 8: The next PRAB meeting will be held Monday, October 26, 6:00 p.m.
virtually (via video conference).
Agenda Item 9: Adjourn: There being no further business to come before PRAB at this time,
the meeting was adjourned at 8:53 p.m. Motion by Seymour. Second by Yugar. The motion
passed 7-0.
Approved by: Attested:
_______________________ _________________________
Raj Seymour Charlotte O’Donnell
Board Member Administrative Specialist
Date _____________________ Date ____________________
Charlotte O'Donnell
10/29/2020
PRAB Meeting Sept.30.2020 6-8p
From: Jerry Greene, 303-449-1232, psychcowboy@yahoo.com
RE: Reservoir Suggestions.
1. Have a Parks staff member authorize your board to consider the following issues, as a
meeting agenda item with follow up done by email.
2.Replace the 4 wooden picnic tables historic to the Lakeshore and Windsurfer beach.
Annual staining should make these last 10 years or more. Metal tables do not fit the
idyllic nature of that beach. 4 wooden picnic tables have worked there for decades.
There is no legitimate argument that the tables ‘prove costly to users and residents’, as
alleged by staff.
3.More suggestions:
A.Add shaded wooden picnic tables, beach chairs, and stump benches as in item G.
below.
B. Stocked fly fishing area.
C.Wind/weather monitoring features like a windsock, wind meter, lake webcam.
D. An artificial surfing wave. These are becoming popular and successful in varies cities.
E.The reservoir used to have music concerts. I would re-instate those, and maybe work
with Boulder Theater and The Fox for outdoor shows, to help out these local venues
that cannot do indoor shows currently.
F. Reduced entry fee for bikers, and half price entry after 6p.
G. When large trees are cut down in the city, use the 8ft or so stumps to make natural
benches, e.g. like the one at 17th and the creek. Slice the stump in half, makes two
benches. There are some large stumps at 17th and University that would work perfect
for this.
4. For your new improvements planned in the budget, hire me as a CONSULTANT for
$600/month for 12 months. I will come up with cost effective ideas that will be widely
appreciated by visitors that you staff will not think of.
5. Examine the validity of the claim that the tear down and rebuild of the staff offices
was ‘highly vetted with broad community support’, and that the old offices were
‘limiting quality opportunities by visitors’.
6. Produce a 10-year report itemizing the reservoir bottom line each year. How much
did the reservoir make, and how much did it spend in total? This doesn’t need a lot of
detail, just a basic examination of the fiscal bottom line, including of course the new
staff offices oddly named the ‘Visitor Services Center.
Attachment A: Letter from Jerry Greene